The Buffalo Bills got a steal in wide receiver Justin Shorter at the 2023 NFL draft.
At least our friends over at the NFL Wire think so.
Shorter was selected by the Bills with the 150th pick at the draft in the fifth round. Buffalo was a team that was looked at as one that could target a wideout with their first selection, but instead the team took tight Dalton Kincaid.
Because of his downfield abilities, Touchdown Wire sees potential in Shorter. But in general, there’s a lot to like about Shorter because of the… potential… of unlocked talent.
During his high school recruitment year, he was the top-rated receiver in the country above the likes of Ja’Marr Chase and Jaylen Waddle. Things didn’t go so smoothly in college, but Shorter earned that rating for a reason.
The Bills could have faith in their own abilities to coach up Shorter, but there’s Josh Allen too. Receivers can perform much higher above expectation with an elite quarterback on their side.
For more on Shorter being a “steal” for the Bills, here’s the full breakdown on his game from TD Wire’s Doug Farrar:
Clearly, Bills general manager Brandon Beane and his staff were watching a lot of Florida offensive tape this offseason, perhaps identifying people who could help a massive, athletic, running quarterback with a rocket arm like Anthony Richardson — and Josh Allen. The Bills selected guard O’Cyrun Torrence in the second round, and they doubled down on Gators with receiver Justin Shorter, who they got with the 150th overall pick in the fifth round.
The more you watched Richardson’s tape, the more Shorter stood out as a big, fast receiver who can get open downfield. Last season, Shorter caught nine of 17 passes of 20 or more air yards for 351 yards and two touchdowns. This 51-yard touchdown pass against LSU was the one everybody talked about with Richardson, but it wouldn’t have happened without Shorter blazing past the cornerback on the way.
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